Edison Price Evicted!

Updated, 3 SEP 5:55pm Eastern

Late Friday, after the below story ran, we received an announcement from Edison Price that they had “already moved.”  Read their announcement here.

It is a very sad day as your humble editor reports that Edison Price Lighting was evicted from their facility at 41-10 22nd Street, Long Island City, NY on 31 AUG 2022.  Edison Price has been manufacturing since 1952.

The judgement was entered 11 JUL, 2022, and states that the Plaintiff, United Development Venture, LLC, has received a judgment against Elite Lighting, Edison Price Architectural Lighting and Edison Price New York LLC in the amount of $456,316.

In addition, the judge ordered the sheriff to eject defendants and all other occupants and put the building in possession of the plaintiff by 31 AUG, 2022.  We believe the actual eviction took place on the morning of 31 AUG. 

We received the following on our Tip Line: 

“After 70 years of Edison Price Lighting manufacturing their products in NYC, the operation was shut down on August 31, 2022, by the Sheriff of the County of Queens when Edison Price Lighting was evicted for non-payment of rent. All 25 of the manufacturing employees were let go without notice, some working there for close to 20 years. It’s a sad ending for a once well-respected lighting manufacturer.”

We have been told that Elite/Edison Price was renegotiating their lease with United Development and that Elite recently made the decision to move all manufacturing from Long Island City to Montebello, CA.  Edison Price has rented new space on 39th street in Midtown Manhattan where their technical people will work.  The 20-25 factory employees were offered positions in California and only one accepted.  

One insider explained that moving the manufacturing to California will be a tremendous cost savings as the rent in Long Island City was exorbitant.

Elite Lighting National Sales Manager, Hamid Rashidi, was apparently starting his long weekend a bit early. When we emailed him this morning at 11 am Pacific Time, and received the following response:

Elite Lighting will close on Monday September 5, 2022 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. We will re-open normal business hours Tuesday, September 6, 2022.”

In an unrelated note, we learned that after 43 years Rick Shaver retired from Edison Price Lighting.  His title was Vice President, Specification Support.

Developing…

EPL evict